Eric Fesmire-Student Choice #4-beauty at CNU

Everyone at CNU knows we are going through a transformation. Not only is this change aesthetic, but also in hiring and admission practices CNU is dramatically altering the culture at CNU. The aesthetic changes are considered beautiful based on a variety of factors. It is often said that the old buildings that are being torn down are ugly. On what basis do we say this? I agree that the older buildings that used to be here did not appeal to me. But at one time, did they appeal to anybody? One of the beautiful things about many colleges are the traditions and history that exist in the buildings. The flip side of this is giving up on the desire for everything to be modern. Eventually, our buildings will no longer be modern. Will we still find them beautiful?

The point I am trying to make is the beauty of a place like CNU can be found in many different ways. I find the new buildings beautiful, but I also found a certain charm in the small and scattered layout of CNU when I first arrived here as a freshmen, before Forbes and new MCM were finished. Beauty, and our conceptions of it, are fluid. This is why it is so important for schools to not just change aesthetically, but to improve their content. Keeping up with the Jones isn't just about how the buildings look, but the quality of the students and faculty. That is what brings a richer environment that will benefit the school from here on out. High standards of excellence benefit more than high standards of building codes. But here at CNU the hope, it seems to me, is to connect all of these and improve everything at once. Only time will tell if this is a successful venture.